Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) is an open and standardized way for electricity providers and system operators to communicate Demand Response (DR) signals with each other and with their customers using a common language over any existing IP-based communications network, such as the Internet. Demand Response plays a vital role in grid stabilization during hot summers, easing severely constrained electrical grids from coast-to-coast. Future energy crises caused by electricity demand exceeding system capacity can be postponed or even averted through Demand Response.
Demand Response (DR) services are used by utility power companies toward end consumers who are using home automation profiles to schedule particular device(s) at a time when electricity prices are low (i.e., below a particular price value). A user can perform the following actions during non-peak hours: (i) scheduling charging of Electric Car and Electric scooter both during low price hours; (ii) scheduling remote application provision in main powered M2M devices during low price hours in that location; (iii) scheduling application update during low price hours in main powered M2M device; (iv) scheduling P2P traffic in main powered P2P devices during low price hours; (v) scheduling watering of agriculture fields using main powered M2M device controlled watering system during low price hours; and (vi) scheduling washing of clothes in a connected main powered washing machine during low prices hours. FIG. 1 illustrates and example communication topology that implements the OpenADR specification. FIG. 2 illustrates an example OpenADR work flow with delayed start for a device.
The machine-to-machine (M2M) ecosystem is evolving rapidly and both consumer and industrial stationary main powered M2M devices are proliferating. Utility power companies (or Electric Power Houses) are increasingly using DR services to motivate users to cut electricity usage during peak hours by raising the prices to stabilize the electricity grid. Accordingly, during low price hours, consumers would heavily schedule most of their tasks (e.g., run multiple main powered devices, maximize implementation of otherwise low priority work, etc.) to save on energy cost.
The low price hours can be published in a price schedule. A price schedule can be published by a Demand Response Automation Server (DRAS), which may be operated by a utility power company, as per the grid need using DR events on an IP based network. The price schedule can be published per hour, per day/night, per week, per weekend/holidays, or even per season (summer, winter).
Based on the change in electricity prices for consumers, network operators would see large impact on network resources due to a number of main powered M2M devices connecting, disconnecting and reconnecting back to the 3GPP core network at a point in time as the price signal hits the network. Network operators spend $15 billion each year towards dealing with incidents of disruptions.
A connection management platform and network performance would be heavily impacted due to combined utility and user motivation to cut energy consumption. The relationship between electricity unit price signals broadcasted by the DRAS towards end consumers and sites, and its corresponding impact on the connection management platform and network performance needs to be understood to minimize the impact on the network operator's resources when the price signal hits the network. Accordingly, there is a need to minimize the impact of the DR Price signal on the network operator's network performance.